Pakistan's religious minorities endured widespread violence, discrimination, and persecution throughout 2025, with blasphemy accusations, abductions, forced conversions, and forced marriages continuing to threaten vulnerable communities, the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) said, citing the 2026 human rights report of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP).

Key Findings of the NCJP Report

The NCJP — a human rights body of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops' Conference — recorded eight Christians accused of blasphemy during 2025 and documented 35 incidents affecting minority women, girls, and families. The VOPM described the findings as evidence of systemic failure, stating that 'these are not isolated incidents but reflect a system in which vulnerable citizens are often denied equal protection under the law.'

Individual Cases of Persecution

Among the documented cases, a 15-year-old Hindu girl, Premi Bheel, was reportedly abducted, forcibly converted, and married in December. Local police allegedly refused to register her complaint, according to the report. In a separate incident, Kashif Masih, a Christian labourer from Sialkot, was allegedly tortured to death after being accused of stealing a mobile phone. Police reportedly initially failed to register the case as murder, triggering protests from the Christian community. Additionally, Afzal Masih was shot dead in September while travelling with Christian pilgrims, reportedly after confronting men who had harassed female passengers.

Jaranwala Attacks: Accountability Still Absent

The report also revisited the 2023 attacks in Jaranwala, a city in Punjab province, where more than 25 churches and 85 Christian homes were damaged. More than two years on, the perpetrators have still not been convicted, according to the NCJP findings — a stark indicator of how accountability for anti-minority violence remains, in the VOPM's words, 'painfully weak.'

VOPM's Demands and NCJP's Warning

The VOPM emphasised that legislative measures alone are insufficient, calling on Pakistan to 'enforce equal citizenship, protect places of worship, prosecute attackers and defend minority women and children.' It quoted the NCJP's warning directly: 'minorities will remain invisible unless the state treats their rights as a constitutional duty, not a matter of political choice.' Critics argue that the gap between constitutional protections on paper and their enforcement on the ground remains the central challenge for minority communities in Pakistan.

Broader Pattern of Minority Persecution

Rights organisations have long flagged Pakistan's blasphemy laws as disproportionately weaponised against minorities, particularly Christians and Hindus. The 2025 data compiled by the NCJP adds to a documented pattern of escalating incidents in recent years, raising fresh concern among international human rights bodies. Pakistan has not yet issued an official response to the NCJP's 2026 report.